Aston Villa have completed the signing of midfielder Charles N'Zogbia from
Wigan on a five-year contract.

The club confirmed on their website that the 25-year-old France
international had passed a medical and would be available for next Wednesday's
pre-season fixture against Derby at Pride Park and for the August 6 date with
Braga in Portugal.

''I am really happy and extremely excited to sign for Aston Villa,'' N'Zogbia
told the club's website. ''It is a great club and it is a really big step for me in my career, so I am
sure I will enjoy my football here.

''I think it is going to be a really good season and hopefully I'll do well
here. I can't wait to meet my new team-mates, play with them and work together to
do something special this season.

''Alex McLeish is a strong manager and I think he is going to build a really
good team for this season.''

Neither club disclosed the fee, which is believed to be around £9.5 million.

The move sees N'Zogbia reunited with former Newcastle team-mate Shay Given, who
joined from Manchester City earlier this month, and also means Villa boss Alex
McLeish has finally succeeded in signing N'Zogbia after two failed attempts.

The Scot looked to have landed the services of the player 12 months ago when in
charge at Birmingham only for the deal to collapse at the 11th hour over
personal terms.

Then McLeish's bid to sign the former Newcastle man earlier this summer was
halted when Wigan rejected an initial £9 million bid from Villa.

Wigan manager Roberto Martinez was sorry to lose a player of N'Zogbia's
quality, saying: ''We're all disappointed to lose a
player like Charles N'Zogbia, who has been fantastic for Wigan Athletic over the
last two years and who we feel has grown as a player in that time too.

''There have been some very enjoyable moments during his time at the club, he
made his international debut with France and scored his first goal for his
country whilst a Wigan Athletic player - memories I'm sure he'll always treasure
as we will.

''Now is the time for him to move on to a club who have matched the market
valuation for him and allow us to move on, reinvest and take our football club
onto another level.''